Presidents Scholarship

MissedApproach

Well-Known Member
I'm a HS senior right now and have been accepted to ERAU Prescott's Aero Sci program. I'm wondering what my chances are of getting the Presidents Scholarship with:

-3.6 gpa
-30 ACT (97 %)
-Honors classes up to/including Physics, Calc

Hopefully some current ERAU, PRC students can give me some ideas. I know my chances are probably slim especially with my gpa lagging a little. Also, what kind of Scholarship $ can I expect if I don't get the Presidents?
All help is welcome.

-Markus
 
I too am going to be attending ERAU at Prescott for Aerospace Studies. I got a 6 grand a year scholarship and I'm only half of a good student that you are. You should be in good shape. My IM is ROCjetBlue320 give me an IM sometime.
 
Of all degree programs that are offered at Riddle, the A.S. program is the most crowded. Without the AS program Riddle probable wouldn’t exist. There are probable over a 1k flight students, give or take, and about 90 instructors currently at Prescott. Don’t take this the wrong way, but it is not that hard to get into Riddle. The school is highly specialized and doesn’t get mass quantities of students applying when compared to a regular university. They definitely want your money! I’m sure they don’t receive 10k plus applications at each school, Prescott and Daytona, every year. The point is, since the AS program is the most crowded, they don’t hand out academic scholarships to AS students unless they are athletes with decent grades, and the academic scholarship is to help fatten out the little money that is offered for athletic scholarships. As far as the presidential scholarship, I couldn’t tell you on that. Academic scholarships are handed out mostly in other degree programs that are not as popular or not as crowded. Of course, the best thing to do is talk with your academic advisor, one will be appointed to you, and your financial aid counselor.
 
Thanks for your help, yeah, I have heard that they don't give many AS scholarships. I was afraid you would say that. I'm debating what to do. I really want to fly professionally, but I'm coming to realize that it's a HUGE gamble. I know ERAU is to aviation as Harvard is to law. The loans would be roughly the same, the only difference is that an ERAU grad is not guaranteed a well paying job (or any job) like that of a Harvard grad. Right now my fall back option is to go to ASU on the full ride scholarship they gave me and become an aerospace engineer. I really don't think that I could enjoy it anything like I do flying. I would know, my dad's an aerospace engineer and I see what he does, not exciting. Plus he comes home everyday depleted and often works saturdays keep up with the work load. The pay isn't bad though. So I'm at the fork of my life. If i go to ERAU and never make it even after graduating (worst case scenario) I know I would be kicking myself for not taking the more secure route. But if I do go the secure aerospace engineering route I know I will forever wonder what my life would have been like if I had gone for a life of flying. I still think I'm gonna go for ERAU.
Thanks again for all your input,
-Markus
 
MissedApp,

Being a Riddle grad myself (although I did not do my flight training there), I thought I would chime in here. I am currently at Flight Safety at 32 yrs old with a PPL and working on the rest... (took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up!:)

First, I would suggest you go back and take a look at Doug Taylor's posts on this subject. He is also a Riddle grad, has a good perspective on what a Riddle degree is worth, and is obviously qualified to comment.

Second, from my own perspective, I think you are in a great position right now. Having excellent grades and test scores certainly gives you a lot of options. One thing I would like to make clear though is that getting a degree from a non-aviation school does NOT mean you cannot be a pilot. In fact, most pilots don't have degrees from an aviation school. If you are currently being offered a full-ride from ASU, I would jump all over that.

The benefits are obvious:

1. Any engineering degree will be looked at favorably by any potential employer (good backup in case you decide you do not want to fly for a living). 2. If you decide to go the AE route AND fly, you could hardly pick a better degree. Although most major airline pilot's have 4yr degrees, not that many have it in a rigorous discipline like AE. 3. You could begin flying and working on your licenses at a local FBO or flight school while you go to school. 4. Or, if it would be too much of a distraction while working on your degree, you might wait until graduation and THEN go into flight training full-bore locally. Another option would be to go to one of the Academies like Flight Safety or Comair where things are set up to do it at an accelerated pace after graduation from college. All of these options plus no debt for the degree make the the ASU-then-flight-school option tough to beat.

However, if your heart is set on going to ERAU specifically to do the Aeronautical Science program, I certainly wouldn't discourage it. The only thing is...for this option to payoff, I think you need to KNOW right now that flying is what you want to do for a living. In that case, I think you would get a great education. But, if you later decided flying isn't what you wanted to do after all, an Aeronautical Science degree from ERAU would be no better to a potential employer than UNDERWATER BASKETWEAVING from PODUNK U.

Maybe Doug could throw in another .02 here!

PS. If I had it to do all over again, I would have tried to get into the AirForce Academy and fly in the military. Great education, free, good possibility of flight in the AF (super preparation for an airline career later on).


Good Luck,

Scott
 
Why does everyone think of ERAU as just a flight school? They have many diffrent degree programs. I love the idea of the Aerospace Studies program, you basicly build your own degree.
 
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Why does everyone think of ERAU as just a flight school?

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It's thought of as a flight school because that is its primary function. ERAU's main focus is training people for a job at an airline, sure they have other degrees too but they exist to increase the student population and are all related to aviation. I don't know about Prescott but at Daytona the only obvious difference between Aerospace studies and Aero Sci, is you don't have to take the Beech and 737 simulators. Other than that they are very similar, especially since available electives are pretty limited.
 
Thanks oexman,
From what I understand the market should be in better shape in 5-6 years, after which I'll be done with school and have built up hours as a CFI. Having ERAU on my resume will give me an advantage in being hired into a good regional job. When it comes time for the airlines I don't know. It's too bad that ERAU rarely gives out academic scholarships to aero sci students. I keep having to fight the feeling that by going to ERAU for aero sci I'm wasting everything that I've worked so hard for in high school. But, flying is what I have always wanted to do and has been my goal from the beginning, now I have this offer from ASU and it's sidetracking me. I worked hard in high school not to become an aerospace engineer but to become a pilot.

If I go to ERAU, and I likely will, I will try to pick up an auxiliary line of education. Although I've been advised not to study something bound to aviation because when they're firing pilots the rest of the aviation industry's not likely hiring. Good luck finding that at ERAU.

About the AF Academy, I actually know two people who are likely going to go there (neither one knows for sure yet). The requirements are rigorous: Both the people I know have 4.0 or 3.9 gpa's, top of our class, very good test scores, are actively involved in athletics (One is ranked #6 among females worldwide in karate), and participate in community service/leadership. Not to mention the application process begins at the beginning of your junior year. The people who go to the USAFA are those who have set that as their goal early on in their education and will stop at nothing to reach it. More power to 'em I say.
smile.gif


I considered the AF (not the academy) but have decided against it because now it's something like 12-16 years of service after college. Plus, I've heard a lot about broken promises by the AF and little flight time on top of that.

Always open for comments/opinions/advice
-Markus
 
Thats a great way of thinking. Do what you want. Hey if you decide to goto ERAU drop me a e-mail or IM if ya want, I've been wanting to get to know some other students that are going to Prescott so I wont feel so alone when I get there.
 
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